ALBANY — In a bid to end the historic practice of gerrymandering New York’s legislative and congressional districts, Gov. Cuomo yesterday sought to shift redistricting power from the Legislature to a bipartisan commission that excludes lawmakers and lobbyists from membership.

Cuomo’s proposed 11-member Independent Redistricting Commission would draw the lines to unite “communities of interest” and keep the populations of the district within 1 percent of one another in size.

While a variety of good-government groups praised Cuomo’s plan, legislative leaders, who would have to pass the bill, reacted coolly.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau), who endorsed a similar plan while running for re-election last fall, pledged only to “take a close look” at the proposal.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), who controlled the Democratic side of redistricting in 2002, will “review the governor’s program bill,” a spokeswoman said.